AS A young woman I have always had a meticulous plan for my life.

AS A young woman I have always had a meticulous plan for my life.

The basic thing was to go to university, get a job, have a family, own a business, become a millionaire and retire young.

While I have achieved some of my goals, I soon realised that there was another plan in store for me. The saying "when you plan God laughs" came into play.

When I started working I found out that I had the calling - ubizo. This was not at all part of my big plan.

I was helping a friend transcribe an audio tape for her psychology assignment about people who have the calling to become traditional healers.

Symptoms mentioned included painful headaches or illnesses that could not be diagnosed, dreams of snakes, being underwater and dreams about things that have not yet occurred.

I found myself relating to these symptoms.

I had unexplainable periods of migraine during my last year at primary school in 1997. These continued during high school. I went to numerous doctors but my condition never improved.

I accepted these events as part of life and stopped complaining. When I started working the migraines and dreams started again. I was told by five people that I had the calling, and that I was extremely lucky to have made it this far in life.

The tales about going through the process of ukuthwasa (accepting the calling) left a sour taste in my mouth.

Through my journey I have learnt that God and prayer are part of being a healer and answers can be found in the Bible.

I also learnt that it is not a disease and it cannot be cured.

My plan for life never included God before but now He is the beginning.

I found help through a chance phone call with a son whose mother, uMam' uBhengu, accepted the calling.

As a faith healer and teacher from a place of healing called Five Fold, with branches in Soweto and Tshwane, she has taught me the role of healers in society. -The writer as a freelance